Scope and Content: Pursuant to MGLA c 42, s 2, selectmen of towns must perambulate town boundaries and locate boundary markers once every five years.  A record of the perambulation is kept permanently with the town clerk and copies are sent to the clerk and selectmen of contiguous towns.  Although not required to do so by law, selectmen of many towns also transmit notices of perambulation to the state secretary’s office to certify that perambulation has occurred.
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically
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Scope and Content: Pursuant to St 1819, c 161, an act to provide for separation of the District of Maine from Massachusetts as a state, a constitutional convention met in Portland, Oct. 11-29, 1819 and Jan. 5-7, 1820; the resulting constitution was submitted to Maine inhabitants and ratified Dec. 6, 1819.  Transcripts of convention proceedings, constitution, and returns of ratification vote (See: Maine. Constitutional Convention (1819)–series (M-Ar) 103-105)) were sent by convention president William King per order of Jan. 7, 1820 to Governor John Brooks.  Series contains related documents.
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically by date of document
Notes: Formerly part of: Miscellaneous collection, box 18. Forms part of: Separation of Maine papers
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Scope and Content: Legislation originates in the General Court as petitions filed by members on their own behalf or that of citizens or groups of citizens; appropriation bills from the House Ways and Means Committee; messages from the governor; or reports from state officers, agencies, or commissions.  Passed acts are bills resulting from the ensuing legislative process that have been approved by the legislature and signed into law by the governor.
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically by legislative session
Restrictions: Some restrictions may apply
Notes: The state secretary is custodian of these and other foundation records.  Series is in part filed with the Massachusetts Regulations Division of the secretary’s office until the end of the following legislative year, after which it is transferred to the Archives
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Scope and Content: Legislation originates in the General Court as petitions filed by members on their own behalf or that of citizens or groups of citizens; appropriation bills from the House Ways and Means Committee; messages from the governor; or reports from state officers, agencies, or commissions.  Resolves, originally used for most legislative actions, in modern times have dealt with matters of a relatively immediate or temporary nature.  Passed resolves are those resulting from the legislative process that have been approved by the legislature and signed into law by the governor.
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically by legislative session
Restrictions: Some restrictions may apply
Notes: The state secretary is custodian of these and other foundation records.  Series is in part filed with the Massachusetts Regulations Division of the secretary’s office until the end of the following legislative year, after which it is transferred to the Archives
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Scope and Content: Individuals or corporations depositing funds with the state treasurer for perpetual care, maintenance, improvement, or embellishment of cemetery plots in any cemetery in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts are required by MGLA c 114, c 20 (derived originally from St 1901, c 351) to file with the treasurer and with the state secretary a written instrument declaring that the funds are intended for this purpose and including, if the cemetery is owned by a corporation, an agreement signed by the president thereof to accept income derived from such funds for stated purpose.
Notes: Formerly part of: Miscellaneous collection, boxes 93A-E
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Scope and Content: Between 1939 and 1961 the Parole Board, known in this capacity as the Advisory Board of Pardons, was required to file certified copies of petitions and other documents relating to pardons with the state secretary’s office to be kept as a permanent record (St 1939, c 479; St 1961, c 467, s 1).  Petitions for pardon contain certified copies of petitions, statements and signatures appended to petitions, and all written recommendations submitted to the governor by the Dept. of Corrections, the attorney general, and the district attorney in whose jurisdiction sentence was passed. –For a listing of related series see: Massachusetts. Office of the Secretary of State. Records of commissions, proclamations, pardons, and other official documents, 1713-1945 (bulk 1747-1936) ((M-Ar)161X)
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically by year, thereunder alphabetically by petitioner
Restrictions: Evaluative information restricted by statutory provision MGLA c 4, s 7, d 26(c) and c 66A. For conditions of access consult repository
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Scope and Content: St 1890, c 428 enabled municipal officials or directors of railroad companies to petition Massachusetts Superior Court to abolish or alter railroad grade crossings; a court-appointed commission then made a decision to be confirmed by the court.  Series consists of copies of petitions maintained by the state secretary. –For related records see: Massachusetts. Treasury Dept. Railroad crossing abolition assessments, 1893-1926 ((M-Ar)2214X)
Notes: Formerly part of: Miscellaneous collection, box 91
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Scope and Content: The clerk of the House of Representatives of the Massachusetts General Court, by authority of House rules, maintains an account of the actions taken by the House for each day of the legislative session.  Until 1983, in addition to a journal, the clerk kept an account arranged numerically by House bill no.
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically by legislative session
Notes: St 1939, c 508, s 3 (amending St 1844, c 153) places custody of the clerk’s files with the state secretary after the legislative year. No entries for 1940, 1942, 1944 (i.e., no regular legislative session). Entries for 1970, 1973, 1981 in 2 v. each
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Scope and Content: The Massachusetts state secretary, as keeper of public records, has received for filing specifications (or plans, if noted) for various state buildings
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically
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Scope and Content: Per Resolves 1874, c 77, registers of probate of Massachusetts were to make a special return to the state secretary reporting the number of wills proved and the number of letters of administration granted for the period 1870-1874, and judges of probate court were to submit opinions concerning possible changes in the law regarding persons who died intestate.  Series consists of these returns in the form of letters.
Notes: Formerly part of: Miscellaneous collection, box 57
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